Improvement in apparatus for indicating the height of water in the holds of vessels



W. R. WARDEN.

' APPARATUS FOR INDIGATING TH HEIGHT 0F WATER IN THE HOLDS 0F VBSSELS.N0. 16,621. Patented Feb. 10, 185'7.

. a M m 5 x g x l:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. WARDEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING THE HEIGHT OF WATER IN THE HOLDS0F VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [6.62], dated February10, 1857.

21) alt whom it may concern:

4 Be it known that 1, W1 mun. R. \VARDEN, of Boston, in the countyofbuiTolk and State of lliassachnsetts, have invented an ImprovedApparatus for indicating the Height of Water in the Holds ofSea-Vessels; and l do hereby declare that the said apparatus'is fullydcscribed in tliefollowing specification, and rep resented in theaccompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents an elevation of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 a similarelevation wit-h the'onter covers of the index-box, alarnrbox, inclinedtube, float-tube, and weight-tube being removed to show their interiors.

I would remark that the indeX-box,with' its apparatus, and theHTMIIII-TJOX WlChdtS apparatus, are shown in the drawings as of about.

their proper or full size; but the tubes are necessarily-showncontracted, as at full size they extend'over many feet in length.

Aiin the drawings represents the index-box, having two apertures at itsbottom, as seen at a I), from which extend down vertically two tubes, BC. These tubes are intended to reach to or about to the bottom ofthehold or well of the vessel, one tube being made tight or closed atits bottom, as seen at 0, while the other is open at bot-tom 0rpunctured with holes, as seen 'at d.

D is a drum or barrel placed within the box A,andfastened onto ashaft,d,which revolves .iii bearings made in the casing of the box A.

Around this barrel two cords or lines, ef, extend, one cord, f, afterpassing around in one direction, extending down into the float-tubeB,whi1e the other,passing around it in the opposite direction,continuesor extends down the weight-tube O, and has. a weight, attached to itsend. The cord in the other tube has a light float, 71., attached to it,said float resting upon the surface of the water in the hold,which waterrises to the same height in the tube as in said hold. As the waterrises, and thereby raises the float h, the weight g is made ofsufficient weight to turn the barrel and wind the float-cord upon itscircumference, the weightcord being at the same time unwound therefroni,and vice versa as the water falls.

Upon one end of the drum-shaft d a small gear-pinion, i, is placed, saidpinion meshing into the teeth of (and rotating when operated) thehammer-rod in position.

a gear-wheel, Said gear 7.: is placed on an index-shaft,'(, turning inbearings in the casing of the box A. Thisshaft extends through'the frontof the box, and carries an inde.\' 'iointer, m, which, as the shaftrevolves, points to the figures on a dial, ID, placed or made 'on thefront of the box A. This dial indicates by means of the pointer thenumber of feet oi'water in the hold. liiis'o o are placed at regularintervals of space around the wheel 1.:, which, as the wheel revolves inthe direction denoted by the arrow :0, (as the water rises,, strike,upona stud, so, and draw down the short arm 1 of a bent lever, q, the otherarm of said lever carrying a bell-haninier, i', which, when the stud isreleased from the pin 0 and the level retracted by a spring, s, strikesupon the bel i, as will be readily understood from the draw ingsi Now,as the water rises in the float-tube, raising the float and turning thebarrel, as described, the index-pointer will be correspondiiiglyturned,and will indicate the rise of the water, and at equal intervalsof such rise the bell will be struck; but whcnzthe water falls, as thepins a strike the stud they turna plate, a, to which said stud isattached in such manner as not to agitate or turn the bent lever,

and the bell willnot be struck.

The register shown is so constructed that the bell will be struck atevery SIX inches of rise from the bottom up to five feet, theindexpointerindicating theextent of such rise. Attached to'thefloat-cord, at a proper height above the float, is an inclinedball-carrier, 11, carrying on its top a heavy ball, 10. From thefloat-tube B- an inclined tube, E, extends, sa d tube passing to analarm-box, F, situatedin the cabin or at any other convenient positionfor giving alarm. An alarm-bell and apparatus connected therewith-suchas is commonly used in alarm-clocksis placed in the box F, said bellbeing seen at a, and having a hammer-rod, 1), spring 0,escapenient-wheel d", cs capement e, and key or winding shaft]- TVhenwound up, a stop, 9', pushed against one arni,' h', of a bent lever, i,serves to keep The other arm of this lever extends down into or in frontof the inclined tube E, as seen at The inclined plate or ball-carrier ois placed at such height as that when the water shall have risen in thehold to a dangerous height, the ball shall have been raised up to theinclined tube E,and will slide off the plate '0 onto the bottom of thetube E, and will slide along the tube untiLreaehing the lever '1", itwill tip it soas to release the bell-hammer and set the alarm inoperation, the ball continuing on into the alarm-box F, from which it isremoved and returned to the tube B.

My alarm and index apparatus will be found to be of great use on boardof essels at sea, where it is oftentimes almost impossible to know theamount of water that may have leaked into the hold, and there being alsoconstant danger that in the night the water may from some cause gain arapid entryand a dangerous height without the fact being known.

.By my apparatus the height of water is always known, and if there is asudden rise to a point of danger the alarm apparatus gives startlingnotice of the fact in time to take suitable measures to check or stopsaid rise of water,

I would remark that several alarms situated at differentparts of thevessel may be con nected with the float-tube, and made to operate

